Outsole for shoes



July 19, 19 27.

E. R. CON NELLY OUTSOLE FOR SHOES Filed Oct. 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. R. CONNELLY IOUTSOLE FOR'SHOEIS Fil ed Oct. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

EDWARD R. CONNELLY, E BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

oursom roe sHoEs.

Continuation of application filed November4, 1921, Serial No. 512,711.

2, 1925. Serial Ho. 60,100.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to shoes, and more particularly to soles of shoes.

- When ordinary shoes are worn, the outer edges of thewidest part of the sole and the toe thereof turn up, thereby producing a depression in the sole beneath the anterior or transverse arch of the foot;

As a consequence, the-anterior arch may drop into this depression, take the support from the proper bearing points, which are the joints of the great and little toes, and thereby cause pain and callouses.

Localization of the pressure on the center of the sole causes the wear to be concentrated at one spot; causes the ball of the foot, which 'is its most sensitive part, to receive painful pressure from pebbles and stones; and brings the ball of the foot close to damp, cold ground, with consequent liability of cansing: colds.

When the anterior arch of the foot drops into the depression, the top part of the foot drops from the upper, and its snug fit is 2 lost, so that proper support for the ankle and longitudinal arch is no longer had, and friction occurs between the upper 'and the toes of the foot, frequently causing corns.

This depression and falling of the anterior arch also cause spreading of the foot, longitudinal curving ofthe sole, wrinkling of the upper,.and improper distribution of wear on i the heels, so that the desirable appearance of new shoes is soon lost.

I am aware that heretofore appliances have been devised which are intended for insertion in shoes to correct deformation of the anterior arch, but these devices are not inherent to the shoe as originally constructed. and therefore they'do not operate to prevent distortion of the anterior arch, but rather as means to correct trouble already caused. Also these appliances are difficult to apply placed; they are expensive and do not ported and dropping of the arch will be prevented, and so that new and repaired shoes may be worn with comfort by persons whose anterior arches have fallen.

properly; they are liable to. become dis-f of the normal foot will be properly sup-' This application filed October To accomplish this, I have provided an outer sole having a member extended upwardly from its upper surface at or-nearest its widest part and firmly attached thereto intermediate its side edges to leave substantially flat side bearing surfaces for the joints of the big and little toes and to form a reenforcement for the outsole between said side bearing surfaces, and said reenforcing erably will be substantially dome-shaped of I gradual inclination or curvature and is preferably located with its highest point between a vertical plane extended transversely of the outsole at its. widest part and substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the outsole, and a vertical plane extended at an acute angle to the said longitudinal axis and passing through the joint of the bigtoc and the front joint of the little toe.

The sole-reinforcing and arch-supporting member forms a permanent part of the outsole and is firmly attached or secured therer to. When the outer sole is made of materials capable of being molded. as, for instance, rubber compositions, the sole-reinforcing and arch-supporting member may be made as an integral part of the outsole, and when the outsole ismade of leather or like non-moldable material, the said member may be cemented, sewed or otherwise'secured in fixed relation to theoutsole.

The particular features of the invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

of an outsoleembodying this invention, and

showing also in dotted lines the bones .of

the foot.

Fig. 2 is a View partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a shoe provided with the outsole shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section taken on theline 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, a'transverse section of a modified form of outsole showmg the reinforcing and Fig. 1 is a plan view on an enlarged scale .The invention may be embodied in Welt,.

McKay, turned or stitched-down shoes; but for purposes of illustration, it is shown herein as embodied inawelt shoe.

. ltcterring'to the drawing, the welt shoe shown thereincomprlses an upper 1, insole "3 and weltb securedtogether by stitching 7 in the usual manner.

The outsole 9 may be leather, rubber or;

composition,- and is secured to the welt by stitching 11 in the usual manner.

In the presentinstance of the invention, the outsoleis provided with a dome-like protuberance 13 of gradual inclination projecting" upward from the outsole intermediate the edges of the sole which are widest apart and spaced somewhat "from said edges to leave substantially fiat bearing surfaces ll, 15 for the joint 16 of the big toe and the front joint 17 of the little toe of the foot.

The construction is such that the protuberance is positioned to furnish support to the anterior or transverse arch of the foot formed by the second, third and fourth metatarsal bones of the loot. its a consequence, the natural form of the arch is maintained, and the weight of the fore por' .tion of the foot is thrown on the proper bearing points, .whioh are the joints of the great and little toes.

1 The dome-likeprotuberance may be formed of the same material as the outsole, either integrally therewith as represented in ldig. 8, or of aproperly formed segment .which may be cementedthereto as repre sented inl ig. l, or otherwise permanently secured-to the outsole as by stitches 20 as represented in Fig. -Theretore. this protuberance constitutesa part of the outsole and of the .shoe as originally made. contradistinguished from appliances which are inserted in shoes-already constructed. These appliances are removable, whereas, the protuberance of a shoe embodying this invention is apermanent characteristic-of the original shoe,'or of a shoe which has been resoled with the outsole and cannot be removed without taking off the outsole.

The dome-like protuberance forming a permanent part, of the outsole and beingfirmly attached thereto adds desirably to the thickness of the outsole beneath the ball of the foot, and constitutes-a reinforcing member tor saldoutsole, and theretore tends to prei 'ent curling up of the outsole transverse The reinforcing member 13 for the out sole is located withthe highest point at the inane ta H 3 rear of a vertical transverse plane passing through the joint 16 of the big toe and the trout joint 17 of the little too and repre-. sented in 1 by the line 25, and for the best results said highest point is located substantially in a verticaltransverse plane passing through the outsole at its widest part and represented'by the line 26.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the transverse plane 25 is inclined with relation to the longitudinal axis 270i the outsole, and the transverseplane 26 is substantially at right angles to said axis.

Furthermore the projecting member 13 is "for the best results made of such size and shape as to have its front portion extend torward beyond the inclined vertical plane 25 and under the. joints ,30, 31, 39 of the three intermediate toes, which joints form the intermediate members oi the metatarsal arch.

Also for the best results, the projecting member 13 ismade. of a width which is less than the distance between the bones of the big and littletoes, so that the bearing of mg elliciency so long as the joints 16. ll" of said toes bear upon the sul'istantially llat bearing surfaces. 1

It will thus be observed that the outsole is provided with. a'member projecting from its upper surface which forms a permanent part of the outsole, and reinforces the same so as to resist curling of the outsole and the consequent formation of. a concavity in the outsole.

lt is also located with respect to the side edges of the outsole so as toleave substantially flat surfaces at the sides of the outsole for the joints or the and little to'es to bear upon. s

lt is further located with its highest point at the rear of a transverse plane passing through the joints of the big and little toes and inclined with relation to the longitudinal-axis off the outsole and preferably substantially in atransverse plane passing through the outsole substantially'at its widest part and substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axisso as to co-operate with the metatarsal arch to form a support for the joints of the three intermediate bones of said arch While permitting the joints-of the outside or end bones of said arch to bear upon the substantially flat side bearing surfaces and be supported thereby. its a result, the outsole when incorporated in a 'newehoe or in a resoled shoe, prevents falling of the metatarsal arch of a normal will vary in accordance with the variation in the sizes of the outsoles.

Since the sole-reinforcing and archsupporting member prevents the formation of the depression or concavity in the sole, it does not allow the foot to drop down from the upper, and. as a result, the latter will always fit snugly -to the foot, preventing wrinkling and other distortion of the upper, and tends to maintain the original de sir-able appearance o'f'the shoe as a whole.

Since the anterior or transverse arch is not allowed to drop, the foot isnarrower and shorter than it would be if the arch were deformed and consequently, a shoe of smaller size is re I uired.

The a ded thickness to the outsole increases the'life thereof and protects the sole of the foot from cold and dampness, and

from being sensitive to pebbles and stones.

The protuberance on the outsole in boldingthe foot up in snug fitting relation with the-,upper,"causes the latter to give added support to the foot as a whole, and properly sustains the longitudinal arch and ankle. The sun fit thus obtained also prevents rubfriction between the I foot and the upper, and prevents formation of corns and callonses.

Since the fore part of thefoot is thrown on its-proper bearing points which, as stated, are the great and little toe joints, the weight is desirably distributed transversely on the sole, and as a consequence, the weight will not be thrown to one side and cause the heel of the shoe to wear unevenly.

When the sole becomes worn and it is desirable to have the same resoled, a new sole provided with the anterior arch-supporting protuberance can be supplied and attached to the welt in the usual manner.

From the above description and by reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the diameter of the dome-shaped member is materially less than the outsole at its widest part so as to leave substantially flat bearing surfaces for the joints *of the big and little toes at the opposite sides "of the sole,.and

that/the distance the arch-supporting memher is extended longitudinally of the sole,

is limited, and is localized, so that it extends for relatively short distances toward the shank and forepart of the outsole.

The arch-supporting and reenforcing member diminishes in thickness forwardly and. rearwardly of the widest part of the outsole and gradually merges with the outsole and the rear portion of said member merges with the shank portion of the outsole in close proximity to the center of the arch-supporting member, thereby leaving the shank portion of' the outsole for the greater. portion of its length of normal thickness and flexibility, and leaving the longitudinal arch of the foot unsupported for the reater portion of its length, which isahigh y desirable, as it avoids distortion and'strain upon the foot, while providing thedesirable three-' point bearing for the foot, to wit: at the heck-and the joints of the big and little toes.

The arch-supporting member diminishes in thickness forwardly and gradually merges with the outsole in close proximity to the centerof the said member so as to support the metatarsal arch without disturbing the bearings of the big and littletoe joints upon the substantially wide, fiat surfaces at the sides of the outsole.

It will thusbe understood that the inyen tion is not limited to the specific embodiment shown, and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. In Fig. 4, the cement is represented by the heavy line 30;

This application is, a continuation of my application Serial Number-512,711 filed No.-

vember 4,1921 for improvement in shoes.

What is claimed is:

1. As'an article of manufacture, an outsole for a shoe provided with a dome-like inv tegral protuberance projecting upwardly from and above the upper surface thereof at the widest portion of the sole to furnish support for the anterior arch of the foot of the wearer and extending lengthwise of said outsole for a relatively short distance with its front and rear extremities in substantially close proximity to the center of said domelike protuberance.

52.- As an article of manufacture, an outsole for a shoe provided with a substantially'fiat upper surface and having a-substantially dome-like protuberance attached to said outsole to form a permanentpart thereof and projecting upwardly from and above said upper surface at the widest portion of the outsole to furnish support for the anterior arch of the foot of the wearer and to leave bearing surfaces in substantially the same horizontal plane for the big and little toes of said wearer, and extending lengthwise of said outsole for a relatively short distance with its front and rear extremities in sub stantially close proximity to the center of said dome-like protuberance.

Ea: mayo ta:

the outer sole in thickness between its side and little toes of the foot suppoi't edby said edges and leave substantially flat bearing outsole and having its front and rearez suriacesin. substantially the same horizontreinities in substantially close proximity to 10 tal plane at opposite sides of the outsole, and said highest oint. I having its highest point located atthe tear in testimony whereof, it have signed my of a transverse plane passing through the name to this specification. I i 7 bearing surfaces for the joints of the big EDWARD it. CONNELLY. 

